Fiber optic cable is often used to transmit light in the longitudinal direction of the cable from one end of the cable to the other end. Fiber optic cables can also be made to transmit light radially away. Such radial light transmission is often used for area lighting, such as around swimming pools, walkways, signs, safety lighting, or decorative accent lighting. Fiber optic cables are often used instead of electrical cables because fiber optic cables require only one light source and the light source's electrical power can be at a distant location.
Such fiber optic cables use special methods of manufacture, such as inclusion of actinically-sensitive dyes or other light-scattering materials to enhance the radial transmission of light. Other approaches avoid special manufacturing methods by bundling a large number of individual fibers together or by bundling groups of wound fibers together. The bundling is not cost efficient and wastes emitted light since light from central fibers is blocked by outer fibers.
Additionally, known fiber optic cables do not provide a simple and efficient mechanism for connecting the fibers to a light source so that the maximum amount of light is sent into the cable and not reflected back to the light source or refracted away from the cable. Cable installers must unwind the cable and laboriously connect individual fibers to the light source. Additionally, known cables do not provide an efficient way to sever the cable to a desired length and then provide a labor-saving way to connect the severed end to a light source so that the maximum amount of light is accepted into the cable.